American Liquid Waste - January 2021

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JANUARY 2021

INSIDE Selling B2B and B2C Services in 2021 p 8 In The News p16

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JANUARY 2021 | VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 1

CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S 8 Selling B2B and B2C Services in 2021 16 In The News 22 Industry Leader – Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Chicago IL 32 ALW Classifieds 34 Index of Advertisers

CEO & PUBLISHER Gideon W. Smith

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melissa Kennelly

SENIOR EDITOR Katherine Nolan

EDITORIAL MANAGER Heidi Karpinich

ADVERTISING Tracy Rodean

CIRCULATION Noah Aiden

Phoenix Global Media Inc. P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559 866-418-4400 phone 973-532-0319 fax sales@americanliquidwaste.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS $15.00 per year, or by eligible request.

American Liquid Waste Magazine is published by Phoenix Global Media Inc. Copyright 2020 by Phoenix Global Media Inc. All rights reserved.

POSTMASTER: Please send changes to American Liquid Waste Magazine P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to American Liquid Waste Magazine are those of the individual authors exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of American Liquid Waste Magazine, its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. American Liquid Waste Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility toward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing information within advertising copy.

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12/19/12 4:57 PM

BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

P R O D U C T W AT C H

A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

SELLING

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

IN THE NEWS

B2B AND B2C SERVICES

SPOTLIGHT

in 2021 INDEX

A lot has changed. As in most industries over the last year, in the portable restroom service subsector, many business teams demonstrated extraordinary agility in rapidly adapting to meet the unusual challenges. Now, they bring all they’ve learned from the strange 2020 experience into a new year of opportunities and continuing challenges for B2B and B2C services sellers.

Here are some changes that portable restroom business owners can expect to continue through 2021 and possibly well beyond:

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BLENDING MARKETING AND SALES PROCESSES

For portable restroom

The migration to web-based business communications, including selling, will continue bringing the processes and goals of marketing and sales teams into ever-closer alignment. In the most successful companies, greater mutual access to knowledge and information and continuous collaboration will blend the two formerly distinct groups.

Bringing sales teams and marketing agents into closer coordination means prospects and current customers are at less risk of finding themselves met with the

rental services sales reps, 2020 was a year of unusual obstacles. From extreme limits on the occupancy of spaces in business buildings to shutdowns and partial shutdowns...

problems of inconsistent information or levels of knowledge that too often occur when these two teams are working too disconnectedly.

The new operational model of the combined

voluntary and enforced social distancing, to PPE and hand sanitizing practices, open in-person engagement

marketing/sales department will be joint processes

in B2B and B2C sales efforts were often simply too

of analysis of prospect management through the

difficult to manage effectively.

sales funnel before the sales presentation and after it.

Further, face-to-face cold-calling for lead prospecting

For example, actions to prequalify the prospect and

and in-person sales presentations and other necessary

perform preliminary information gathering, all the way

business interactions sales reps must perform were

through post-close follow-up processes will be shared

either severely curtailed or even eliminated in many

by marketing and sales teams. Likewise, advertising

potential customers’ places of business. Already

campaign design, roll-out strategies, lead qualification,

difficult to obtain, direct access to buying decision-

and eventual unclosed lead nurturing will be joint

makers reached an unprecedented new level of

efforts.

challenge.

REMOTELY DELIVERING SALES PRESENTATIONS

Outside salespeople would benefit from recognizing

For portable restroom rental services sales reps, 2020

that this situation appears to be potentially permanent.

was a year of unusual obstacles. From extreme limits

After all, research indicates that more than 75%

on the occupancy of spaces in business buildings to

of B2B buyers and B2B sellers both prefer indirect

shutdowns and partial shutdowns, and other modes of

engagement with people in the selling process,

continued on page 10

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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E RI C A N LI QUI D WASTE 9

BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

vs. in-person interaction. Only 20% of B2B buyers say

The most successful sales professionals in 2021 will

they would like to return to receiving in-person sales

provide the business case for each sales proposal they

presentations from potential

make and will provide an informed

A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

P R O D U C T W AT C H

vendors.

PROVIDING MORE COMPELLING FINANCIAL REASONS TO BUY Financial justification for buying has always been a key consideration for business

IN THE NEWS

customers. In the post-2020

In the post-2020 sales environment, the value of their

sales environment, the value of their purchasing decisions can

examined with much

with much closer scrutiny than

sales presentation will show how the service can help the prospect realize financial objectives. The best sales presentations will help

the new customer feel satisfied purchasing decisions A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

can be expected to be

be expected to be examined

and thoughtful ROI projection. The

closer scrutiny...

before last year. After all, budgets

that their choice to use the service is a financially beneficial decision.

SIMPLIFYING BUYERS’ DECISION PROCESSES Generally, in high-stress periods humans are instinctively more

SPOTLIGHT have been slashed to emergency extremes, with many

INDEX risk-averse. Bias toward maintaining the status quo is

businesses imposing spending freezes that have been in

reinforced by stressful conditions. Counter-intuitively,

effect since the late spring of 2020.

intensified risk avoidance tends to lend more to the continued on page 12

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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 11

BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

of the process for buyers, while still ensuring that they

P R O DThe UCT W AT CH 2020 quarantine and

economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have speeded up the pace I N T H E of N Ethe WS shift that was

already underway to more fully digitalize commercial selling...

SPOTLIGHT likelihood of making poor decisions. It also increases the

receive all necessary information to make their decision.

A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

UPDATING TO MORE COMPETITIVE SALES TECHNOLOGIES The 2020 quarantine and economic shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have speeded up the pace of the shift that was already underway to more fully digitalize commercial selling, including. Presentation

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

tools and web-based communications had already partially transformed the sales industry. But, since the onset of the health and economic crisis, employing the best available technologies for more robustly managing the selling process online is becoming an indispensable approach for portable restroom rental companies, just

IN X other service sellers. as it is forD soEmany

Amid all the rapid adaptations B2B and B2C sales

tendency to have disproportionate perceptions of the

reps were forced to make during the last year, one

costs of whatever decisions people do make. In those

thing remained consistently clear — which was that

difficult times, any sales presentation that involves even

having the technology to facilitate remote verbal and

a minor bit of complexity in the buyer’s decision-making

written communications and other sales-related tasks

process is likely to be viewed negatively.

is essential to cultivating mutually beneficial business

Before the 2020 health and economic crisis, portable restroom rental sales representatives could feel confident in presenting a whole range of pricing options

relationships in the modern competitive portable restroom services market.

It’s never been made more clear that basic CRM

for rental services, accessories, peripheral products,

technology and VoIP telecom should be high-priority

attendant services, etc. There was not much concern

capital investments in future upgrade strategies. Cloud-

about overwhelming prospective customers with details

based systems should also be prioritized for growing

and numbers they couldn’t comfortably process.

companies looking to scale rapidly and seamlessly

In 2021, sales reps will continue to grapple with

while cutting key technology costs. Further, ensuring

the obstacles presented for themselves and their

webpage speed, upgraded content, organic backlinks,

prospective customers due to the pandemic. That means

and top-tier SEO are also fundamentals for competitive

the associated stress on the society can be expected

success.

to continue, despite all progress in efforts to adapt

It’s also time to update sales presentation-quality,

fully. So, salespeople must find ways to streamline their

replacing outmoded PowerPoint shows with more

sales presentations, simplify pricing options, minimize

dynamic video and interactive alternatives, like web-

inconveniences, and offer a smooth, easy experience

connected devices, or video conferencing, for example.

that innovatively reduces the length and tediousness

Social media and web advertising are also inexpensive

continued on page 14

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BUSINESS CORNER

TECH NEWS

The knowledge gained P R O D U C T W AT C H

odyssey A S Sthrough O C I AT the I O N2020 NEW S has transformed the way selling services will be done in 2021 and beyond.

IN THE NEWS

A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R marketing essentials for the new post-2020 era of small business.

WHAT B2B SERVICES SELLING WILL BE LIKE IN 2021 In addition to confronting the above list of challenges

SPOTLIGHT

during 2021, portable restroom rental services sales reps

I N DtoE work X in a business environment of continued can expect closures and reduced operations at a great number of prospective customers’ businesses, throughout much of the year, if not all, because of the coronavirus. Adopt the solutions recommended here, to be as prepared as possible to compete successfully in the new B2B and B2C service market conditions.

Substitute in-person meetings with virtual ones when possible. Move on from PowerPoint slide presentation and other outdated sales tools to new, more engaging tech alternatives. Combine sales and marketing efforts for a more cohesive revenue generation program. Adjust sales presentations to simpler, more compelling cases for maximizing ROI from using your portable restroom rental service.

The knowledge gained through the 2020 odyssey has transformed the way selling services will be done in 2021 and beyond. The evolved sales practices will afford their adopters methods of sales process improvement that can help maximize opportunities and positive outcomes in the new year.

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A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R

IN THE NEWS

LRS ACQUIRES ROY STROM COMPANY IN SMILESTONE P O T L I G H T UNION CEMENTING LRS AS THE MIDWEST’S LARGEST PRIVATELY-HELD WASTE PROVIDER CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, January 4,

INDEX

LRS also announced that George Strom will continue

2021 – Lakeshore Recycling Systems is (“LRS”), the

with LRS as Area Vice President, leading operations at LRS’

nation’s seventh largest privatelyheld waste and recycling

Roy Strom facilities in Maywood. Roy Strom Company

company, today announced its largest acquisition to-date:

is the third and largest in a series of recent acquisitions

Maywood, Ill.-based Roy Strom Company (“Roy Strom”),

announced by LRS at the turn of the New Year.

among the most respected independent waste haulers

LRS Chief Executive Officer Alan T. Handley heralded

in the Chicagoland market. The milestone addition of Roy Strom to the LRS family positions LRS for accelerated growth throughout Chicagoland and the broader Midwest. Financial terms were not disclosed and the acquisition is effective immediately.

the acquisition as symbolic and

“...its roots and values planted firmly here in Chicagoland”.

As a result of the combination,

representing a transformation for the company as it positions for explosive growth. “For more than seventy-five years, Roy Strom Company has built a rich legacy as one of the most respected independent waste and recycling leaders in Chicago,” Handley said. “This critical partnership

LRS gains an extensive, long-tenured residential and

demonstrates how trusted LRS remains as a first-choice

commercial customer base, well-positioned Single Stream

acquirer for independent, family-owned waste and

and C&D recycling operations, and a strategically located

recycling companies throughout the Midwest.”

transfer facility in Maywood which serves many local

Handley added “LRS has been built by entrepreneurs

operators. More specifically, LRS will now service residents

with many of the acquired businesses’ family members

in communities such as River Forest, River Grove, North

continuing to serve as key executives throughout the

Riverside, Villa Park, Berkeley, Summit, Willow Springs and

organization. Maintaining our entrenched local roots with

unincorporated DuPage County.

an unyielding commitment to the customer experience

Commenting on the acquisition, Roy Strom President

differentiates LRS and fuels our growth and innovation.

George Strom: “LRS is an aggressive waste and recycling

LRS remains the local alternative to large national waste

industry disrupter with its roots and values planted firmly

haulers who lack the community connection so essential to

here in Chicagoland. We are excited about joining this

successful waste and recycling service delivery.”

winning organization because they share our values and passion to provide our customers with an exceptional

Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS), is North America’s

experience, and our employees a rewarding pathway

seventh-largest privately-held waste and recycling company.

to career success. As the fourth generation of Strom

For more than 20 years, LRS has specialized in providing

leadership, I am excited to carry on my family’s values

comprehensive, fully integrated waste diversion and recycling

of hard work, putting the customer first, and fierce

services for hundreds of thousands of residential . To learn

independence; at LRS those values will be preserved for

more visit www.LRSrecycles.com.

generations to come.”

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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 19

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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 21

SPOTLIGHT

INDEX

INDUSTRY LEADER Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Chicago IL

Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) is a comprehensive waste management company with 15 state-of-the-art recycling centers serving municipalities, school systems, and other public institutions throughout the Chicago metro area, greater Illinois, and Wisconsin. In 2019, the enterprise was named one of the Chicago area’s fastest-growing companies, on the renowned Crain’s Fast 50.

L

RS controls nearly 2.5 million tons of waste material entering its facilities, which is around

35-40 percent of the entire stream of waste for the Chicagoland and lower Wisconsin Midwestern subregions. Of that waste volume, Lakeshore recycles or diverts about 50 to 60 percent away from routing to landfills, which is an exceptional ratio.

LRS LEADERSHIP TEAM Lakeshore’s C-suite is manned by an impressive team of seasoned industry professionals, with strong academic and career credentials. The large and aggressively-expanding enterprise is led by Alan Handley, CEO, champion of the corporation’s growth-by-acquisition strategic model. Handley also lectures as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Before assuming his leadership role at Lakeshore in 2012,

2 2 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JA NUA RY 2021

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Handley was Executive VP and CFO at Aldridge Group, a

Service in Madison, WI, making LRS a bi-state waste

national leader in civil contracting.

management enterprise.

To name just a few other top executives at LRS with

The company has built an outstanding record of

a high level of responsibility for the success of the

service and has grown organically, but has multiplied

company’s thriving portable restroom rental division:

the size of the business largely through acquisitions.

•

Lakeshore continues pursuing its strategy of growth by

Brian Tibble, CMO, came on board as VP of Business

Development in 2016. Tibble handles sales team

acquisition, currently targeting hundreds of potential

development and strategic planning for marketing, sales,

new assets.

and customer experience across the temporary services

Now, in December 2020, Lakeshore Recycling Systems

division.

has nearly 1,000 employees and generates annual

•

revenues of about $240m, up from the $50m the

Meaghan Johnson, Director of Marketing notes

that her team “wears many

company had been producing

hats,” referring to the fact that

at the time of the 2012 merger.

the extraordinarily versatile

The company has

LRS’s portable restroom rental

professionals are fully cross-

built an outstanding

services line, power sweeping,

record of service and

all thriving divisions, and the

trained in all the company’s individually challenging skill sets required in each of its complex revenue channels.

•

Brian Grosse is Lakeshore’s VP

of Portable Services, oversees operations of all the revenue lines in the company’s portable

has grown organically,

and dumpster services are company is today’s largest independent waste hauling

but has multiplied the size

organization in the Midwest U.S.,

of the business largely

and one of the industry’s top 40

through acquisitions.

largest in the country.

LRS PORTABLE RESTROOM

restroom rental services,

RENTAL OPERATIONS

industrial, construction, and

Brian Grosse, VP of Portable

commercial power sweeping, and dumpster rentals.

Services, started his career in the wastewater sanitation

LAKESHORE’S STRATEGIC

industry, went on to own his own portable restroom

GROWTH MODEL

rental company, and grew it into a thriving business

Founded in 1999 in a merger between two companies

with the kind of potential that caught the attention of

in Chicago, produced the entity that later, in a 2012

Lakeshore acquisitions experts. Grosse achieved the

merger, became Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS).

dream of so many ambitious entrepreneurs, to grow a

Five years later (2017), Lakeshore purchased Chicago’s

business to the point that it becomes a highly attractive

K Holdings company, which brought new revenue lines,

asset and then have it acquired.

including portable restroom rental services, dumpster

Brian came on board with LRS in 2018, as part of

services, and power sweeping services. Just a year

the transition plan. In just these two years since that

later (2018), LRS acquired Wisconsin’s largest dumpster

time, the Portable Services division has maximized the

provisioning and recycling company, Royal Container

synergistic potential of LRS with its newly acquired continued on page 24

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J A N UA RY 2 0 2 1 A M E R I C A N LI QUI D WASTE 23

INDEX

SPOTLIGHT

portable restroom rental business,

otherwise probably never have rented these kinds of

and the revenue line has grown it

units.”

into the region’s most formidable

Brian estimates that the industrial-grade portable

competitor. Today, Brian oversees

toilets probably account for about 80 percent of the

a vast area of LRS operations with

department’s inventory. The company also has a large

an inventory of around 15,000

selection of about 50 luxury restroom trailer units.

rentable units. The total inventory includes units for construction and

During the COVID crisis,

industrial needs, special events,

our units have been very

and other uses. (Meaghan Johnson mentioned that the company has a total of around 650 field vehicles in

helpful to many industrial

its company-wide fleet.)

companies, enabling them

Brian comments, “During the COVID crisis, our units

to continue operating when

have been very helpful to many industrial companies,

they otherwise may have been

enabling them to continue operating when they otherwise may have been forced to shut down. The

forced to shut down

hand sanitizing and hand washing stations have been especially important for businesses that would

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He explains, “We serve the greater Chicago area. We also have a sister company in Wisconsin, Badgerland Portables, which we started from the ground up, and it’s growing well. In just the two short years since the company’s inception in 2018, it has become one of the largest in its area.”

Brian estimated that the Portable Services division has about 33 power sweeper trucks. There’s a busy team of drivers in the power sweeping department he oversees,

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especially during the peak period of the year. He talked about the seasonal changes in customers’ needs for portable toilets and power sweeping services that impact his employees across the two departments of the Portable Services division.

He explained, “Fall and spring are busier seasons for roll-offs and toilet rental business, and there are more

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INDEX

SPOTLIGHT

events in summer for which those units are needed. In the fall, we have employees who work with those who move over to help with the power sweeping. “It helps keep guys working.”

So, the fascinating operating mode of LRS’s unique management system in its Portable Services division is to cross-train all field services employees so well that they can seamlessly switch job roles back and forth in fall and spring. All the while, of course, they must maintain seamless professional-quality of the heavy equipment operation and care and performance of

else you can think of. It’s mostly because from the very

services. It’s an unparalleled operational model that

founding days of our company, we set that out to be

the company maintains, to accommodate the shifting

our goal—that we wouldn’t sacrifice environmental

seasonal demands between roll-offs, toilet rentals, and

stewardship or sustainability for profit. We believe in that. They really aren’t

power sweeping across the LRS

LRS marketing

service market.

LRS CORE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE OPERATION All the LRS management team members we spoke with, or from whom we’ve featured comments from previous interviews, here were highly focused on sustainability as the goal that

and sales team are fully familiar with customer needs and how the company meets those needs in its various

shapes everything the company does. Brian Grosse commented in

divisions...

a joint interview for ALW and NAS magazines, “Sustainability is part of our core, and it’s what sets us apart from our competitors. Everything we do is a sustainability initiative. It’s really why I think we’ve been very successful over the last six years or so.”

He offered multiple examples of processes the

mutually exclusive—you can be profitable and do the right thing for the world.”

LRS has been recognized for its world-class technology, applied in the interest of sustainability. Handley is quoted in a 2019 article as saying, “We’re also continually looking for ways to introduce automation.” He is further quoted in the article as saying

that LRS views the matter of long-term sustainability as a question of affordability, which he translates as a need “to reduce the cost of recycling going in and reducing the labor associated with it.”

LRS MARKETING AND SALES

company uses in its facilities to reconstitute various

Meaghan Johnson explains that the LRS marketing

waste products and “give it a second life” either in

and sales team are fully familiar with customer needs

the form of mulch or other valuable materials, to

and how the company meets those needs in its various

reintroduce it into the world as a reusable product.

divisions, including portable restrooms, recycling,

CEO Alan Handley carried the message even further in his 2019 interview with Recycling Today, “We are very different in the market from pretty much anybody

power sweeping, dumpster services, etc.

The Lakeshore sales team is extraordinarily versatile, as Johnson reflects, “We’re very nimble in making sure our continued on page 28

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INDEX

SPOTLIGHT

previously mentioned interview that there are three priorities that define the LRS company culture: 1. People — Alan explained, “We’ve spent a lot of time and focus effort and energy into really developing our people. I think it’s key to the future.” He went on to say, “It’s hard to find good, qualified talent. When we do find them, we want to make sure they have a good, meaningful career with us and that we provide an opportunity for them to grow with our company.”

(2019) Brian Grosse told ALW, “We want to make sure all our employees have the tools and resources they need to succeed, and that they’re learning about the industry, sales team can cross-sell all services. For example, if a

and are up to speed. Meaghan Johnson reflected, “This

construction company needs power sweeping services,

year (2020) has, of course, been a little different for all

portable restrooms, roll-offs, those are all things we can

of us (in terms of events the company normally holds

take care of for them.”

to express appreciation for employees and to celebrate

She goes on to clarify, “So,

individual achievements).” Then,

whether a construction site needs something temporarily,

...the company was

or a private homeowner wants

listed among the

to have a contract for routine

Best and Brightest

service, or a municipality wants to talk about street sweeping,

Companies to Work For®

all our sales employees can help them get services in place

as well as receiving the

to meet their needs.” Meaghan

BBB’s award for ethics

also mentioned that the LRS Customer Service team is just as

in the marketplace...

remarkably adroit as the sales

she went emphasized what the whole management team makes clear is the key message of LRS’s leadership philosophy, “What makes Lakeshore succeed is helping the employees succeed.”

2. Safety — No matter who you speak to on the LRS C-team, safety always appears to be top of mind. Management staff clearly sees focus on safety as the company’s deepest

team.

core commitment. Meaghan emphasized in the joint

COMPANY CULTURE AT LAKESHORE

interview, “Everyone needs to know best practices,

There’s much to be learned by newcomers to the

safety protocols, practices, and industry standards.”

portable restroom rental services industry from a study

Brian Grosse reinforces that message, “We’re very

of the LRS internal culture. In 2016, the company was

much safety and maintenance focused. The newest

listed among the Best and Brightest Companies to Work

focus has been on upgrading equipment and materials,

For® as well as receiving the BBB’s award for ethics in

to make it safer for drivers and technicians. He reflected,

the marketplace (2018). Alan Handley expressed in the

“From PPE to material handling, to replacement pumps,

2 8 A MERIC AN L IQUID WA S TE JA NUA RY 2021

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to changing hoses, to switching out schedules, we’re

together. We do tend to blend and learn from newcomers

good at our preemptive maintenance. We’re more

in new collaborative efforts.”

about being proactive than reactive with maintenance.”

To how LRS has parlayed the synergies gained from

In 2017, LRS received the award for the Biggest Safety

the mutual sharing and learning between existing

Improvement, from the Solid Waste Association of

LRS departments and newly acquired companies

North America.

merging into the Lakeshore operational system, Brian

3. Innovation — In his October 2019 interview with

looks back, “I learned when I built my own business

Recycling Today, Alan Handley expounded on the LRS

that anybody can go out and buy porta-potties and

“culture we’ve developed of trying to be as innovative

start a company in Chicago or Madison Wisconsin,

as possible, embracing new technologies, listening to

for example. But, it’s about the level of service, the

our customers, and making sure that you don’t just do

constant working goal is that people have a uniform

things the old traditional way.

quality of work that is expected wherever they are. It’s

Our entire corporate DNA and everything we talk about

that our quality of service is consistent anywhere across

is how we keep material from going to the landfill.

our system that people are working. Though we’re

I’m pushing to try to find end products for about

never quite going to get that goal, the point is always

everything we possibly can.”

From LRS VP of Portable Services, Brian Grosse, Chicago IL

to hold it as ours, and keep striving for it.”

Brian Grosse, “We’re a company that has grown

Between its portable restroom rental revenue

organically and through acquisitions. With each

channel, other provisioning of portables, and

acquisition comes new dynamics that you’re trying to put

recycling, Lakeshore Recycling Services provides

COMMENTS ON LAKESHORE RECYCLING SERVICES

continued on page 30

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INDEX

SPOTLIGHT

waste management services to many thousands

and partnering with organizations like the Lupus

of municipal, industrial, construction, commercial,

Society, and others.”

and private residential customers, including the 642

The LRS company’s executive team share a deep

locations in the enormous Chicago Public School

devotion to the organization’s grounding beliefs in

system.

the above list of commitments. What also stands out

As the LRS enterprise continues its steady and

in talking with multiple members of this exemplary

successful march to greater expansion through acquisition, the organization certainly appears to be on track to meet Alan Handley expressed goal, “to be a progressive, recycling-first, diversion-first, customer-focused independent recycling and waste company, and then be a dominant player in the markets in the greater Midwest.”

Brian Grosse paints a good picture of how the company is achieving that, “We are an

leadership team is a unified

It’s truly too difficult to imagine any extent to which the team’s efficiencies and its genuine and contagious sense of caring for people and the environment could not reach and function with ideal effectiveness.

message and insistence on a supremely efficient and agile approach to everything they do. Undoubtedly, this rarified combination of exceptional will and skill are to be credited for the brand’s outstanding reputation with the many authorities on quality in the industry that has honored LRS with awards for excellence in every facet of business operations and ethics.

Based on all these factors,

example of a snowball effect:

it does seem that the top

Brand awareness occurs when

leadership of LRS is right to

people are seeing one of our recycling or other units

be confident in its ongoing drive to further scale

on a block, and people think, “They must be doing

the enterprise. It’s truly too difficult to imagine any

a good job because the neighbor keeps using their

extent to which the team’s efficiencies and its genuine

service. Then, maybe soon they’re seeing two or three

and contagious sense of caring for people and the

of our units on the block, and the number can keep

environment could not reach and function with ideal

growing.”

effectiveness.

In addition to its core commitments to employee development, safety, innovation, customer experience, and its over-arching principle of sustainability, it

For information about Lakeshore Recycling Services,

appears fair to say that another defining quality of

call (630) 377-7000 or go to the LRS website at https://

the LRS corporate culture appears to be the social

www.lrsrecycles.com/.

impact. As Meaghan expressed, “We’re very vocal in the community. We always love to give back as much as possible, through sponsorships,

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Abbott Rubber CO. Inc..................................................2 800-852-1855 / pumperhose.com

GSBB Services, LLC...................................................... 32 843-535-5712 / www.gsbb.biz

Peterson Products..........................................................6 800-669-1434 / pipeplug.com

American Jetter............................................................ 32 866-944-3569 / americanjetter.com

Imperial Industries Inc............................................... 21 800-558-2945 / imperialind.com

PolyJohn Enterprises.................................................. 35 800-292-1305 / polyjohn.com

Aqua-Zyme Disposal Systems Inc........................... 2 979-245-5656 / aqua-zyme.com

In The Round Dewatering........................................ 10 317-539-7511 / ITRDewatering.com

Armal Inc........................................................................ 15 866-873-7796 / www.armal.biz

J.C. Gury Company Inc..................................................6 800-903-3385 / jcgury.com

Bright Dyes.................................................................... 32 800-394-0678 / brightdyes.com

Key Commercial Corp................................................ 10 877-333-4539 / keycommercial.com

Cam Spray...................................................................... 20 800-648-5011 / camspray.com

Kuriyama of America Inc........................................... 19 847-755-0360 / kuriyama.com

Com Vac.............................................................................5 800-243-7986 / comvacsystems.com

Masport Vacuum Pump Systems........................... 18 800-228-4510 / mastportpump.com

Comforts of Home...................................................... 34 877-382-2935 / cohsi.com

Mid-State Tank Co., Inc.................................................4 800-722-8384 /midstatetank.com

Coxreels........................................................................... 24 800-269-7335 / coxreels.com

Navitas Credit Corp..................................................... 14 800-422-1844 /navitascredit.com

Dragon Products.......................................................... 17 877-783-5538 / dragonproductsltd.com

Norweco Inc.....................................................................7 800-667-9326 /norweco.com

F.M. Manufacturing..................................................... 13 877-889-2246 / fmmfg.com

NozzTeq.......................................................................... 27 866-620-5915 / nozzteq.com

Vacuum Sales Inc............................................................3 800-547-7790 / vacuumsalesinc.com

Fruitland Manufacturing ......................................... 11 800-663-9003 / fruitlandmanufacturing.com

Paul Swoyer Septics LLC............................................BC 830-935-4936

Westmoor Ltd............................................................... 32 800-367-0972 / westmoorltd.com

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